Major & Minor in Philosophy

The Philosophy major at Boston College is designed to ground students in the core classical issues of philosophy and to give them the ability to engage with significant areas of contemporary concern in a way that moves forward our communal conversation and the path toward answers and solutions.

Why Our Major?

We focus and sharpen students鈥� abilities to critically evaluate arguments and issues, to understand the assumptions and backgrounds of contemporary views, practices, and controversies, with a view to enable them to use their insights and skills to contribute to dialogue, understanding, and positive action in their professions and communities, large and small. Philosophy offers a great deal of flexibility and speaks to many issues that are foundational to other disciplines and many career paths.

Major Requirements

All Philosophy Majors must take a total of 30 credits in Philosophy.

  • Two Core courses in Philosophy (6 credits)

  • Eight Philosophy electives (24 credits)
    • One course in History of Philosophy
    • One course in Knowledge & Reality
    • One course in Ethics & Value
    • Five free electives

Minor Requirements

The requirement for the minor in philosophy consists of a total of 18 credits: six credits of philosophy core courses, typically two, three-credit courses, followed by 12 credits of philosophy electives, typically four, three-credit philosophy elective courses.

The range of courses available within the department allows the student considerable flexibility in planning an individualized and personal program of study. In consultation with a faculty advisor, each student will design his or her own minor, typically consisting of four additional three-credit elective courses, for a total of 12 elective credits.

Students are encouraged to look at different areas for interdisciplinary connection described on the聽concentrations/tracks聽in the undergraduate program.聽聽

Elective Course Offerings

History of Philosophy Fall 2026

  • Horizons of the New Social Sciences II/Perspectives III (Braman)
  • Philosophical Perspectives on Science II (Stan)
  • The Great Conversation I: Ancient and Medieval Philosophers (Kreeft)
  • Dante鈥檚 Sinners in Inferno and Purgatory (Kim)
  • Philosophy of Hinduism: Ancient and Modern Perspectives (Lawrence)
  • Greek Philosophy (Byers)
  • 19th and 20th Century Philosophy (Rumble)
  • Medieval Philosophy (Solere)
  • Kant鈥檚 First Critique (Tacelli)
  • Kant鈥檚 Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (Basile)
  • Space and Time: Aristotle to Einstein (Stan)
  • Crisis and Renewal in Early 20th Century Europe (Barrette/Dupont)
  • Skepticism, Stoicism and Neoplatonism (Byers)
  • Selected Readings in Phenomenology (Moran)
  • Plotinus on Providence (Gurtler)
  • Heidegger and Politics (Fried)

Knowledge & Reality Fall 2026

  • New Scientific Visions II/Perspectives IV (VandeWall, McKaughan)
  • Philosophical Perspectives on Science II (Stan)
  • Logic (Han, Santer, McQueen)
  • Buddhist Modernism (Johnson)
  • Philosophy of Race and Racism (Carter)
  • Selected Readings in Phenomenology (Moran)
  • Metaphysics (Gurtler)
  • Symbolic Logic: Atkins)
  • Skepticism, Stoicism and Neoplatonism (Byers)
  • Space and Time: Aristotle to Einstein (Stan)
  • Medieval Philosophy (Solere)
  • Feminisms and Philosophies of Difference (McGill)
  • 19th and 20th Century Philosophy (Rumble)
  • Philosophical Implications of Artificial Intelligence (Larrey)
  • Mind and Body (Tacelli)

Ethics & Values Fall 2026

  • Modernism and the Arts II/Perspectives II (Hanly)
  • Values in Social Services and Health Care (Manzo)
  • Feminisms and Philosophies of Difference (McGill)
  • Telling Truths I: Writing for the Cause of Justice (Maryanovich)
  • Buddhist Modernism (Johnson)
  • The Idea of Self: Philosophical Perspectives (Johnson)
  • Philosophy of Love and Friendship (Culbreth)
  • Philosophy of Race and Racism (Carter)
  • The Problem of Evil (Kreeft)
  • Happiness and Utopia: Thinking about the Ideal Life (Lott)
  • Kant鈥檚 Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (Basile)
  • Crisis and Renewal in Early 20th Century Europe (Barrette/Dupont)
  • Ricoeur and the Problem of Evil (Basile)
  • Philosophy of Existence (Kearney)
  • Law and Interpretation (Fried)
  • Heidegger and Politics (Fried)
  • Hermeneutics of Christian Life (Bloechl)

Major Tracks

Students wanting focus and direction for their elective choices may select a track within the major. Tracks are satisfied in consultation with the major advisor by completing two electives in one of the following areas:

  • Science, Ethics & Humanities
  • Law, Public Policy, & Economics
  • Philosophy, Religion & the Arts
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Philosophy and Theology Minor

The Philosophy and Theology Minor calls students to an interdisciplinary reflection on God, self, and world through both philosophy and theology. The Minor seeks to encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between philosophy and theology by deepening the student鈥檚 knowledge of each discipline by discovering connections and overlaps. The Philosophy and Theology Minor builds on the foundation of the core curriculum, in particular the interdisciplinary programs of Perspectives and PULSE which are structured upon the intersecting nature of theology and philosophy.

More Information

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Philosophy currently supports over 200 majors, almost half of which are 2nd or 3rd majors.聽

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